Cushion construction for shoes



Oct. l0, 1939 J. H. EvERsToN CUSHION CONSTRUCTION FOR SHOES Filed NOV. 30, 1936 Patented Oct. 10, 1939 CUSHION CONSTRUCTION FOR SHOES Joseph H. Everston, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to Montgomery Ward & Co., Incorporated, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application November 30, 1936, Serial No. 113,313

6 Claims. (Cl. Sii- 37) This invention relates to improvements in cushion constructions for shoes. The invention has particular application to the heel portions of shoes having heels fastened from the inside, but is also of more general application.

It is the object of the invention to provide a novel and improved construction which not only accommodates an additional ply of cushion material at the heel but, in addition, stiffens the shoe at the point at which the heel is connected.

In the past the recess necessary for the accommodation of special cushion plies has been made either by inserting a semi-annular piece ol" material as a lift or by cutting, punching, or skiving away portions of the sole material to provide the necessary opening. The present invention contemplates the compression of the sole material whereby the necessary recess is provided without the removal of any material from its thickness. In addition, it may, if desired, be bodily offset in a recess punched or molded in the ber reinforcing ply I I, as is clearly shown in Fig. l. The compression and offset not only provide a recess into which the extra cushion ply I'I can be introduced, but it also greatly stifens and rigidies the leather. Consequently the screw I3 and nails I9 used to anchor the heel nd a more rm seat in the portions of the insole which have been rigidied by the compression. The heads of the fastening devices, whether screws, nails, or both, will have additional cushioning under the added cushion ply II, and are thus renderedV entirely imperceptible to the wearers foot.

In the Fig. 2 construction the heel 'I is slightly countersunk at so that the head of the screw I8 can more adequately be seated in the portion of the insole Iii which has been thinned and 20 the sole, the compressed material being greatly rigidiiied by compression. The fiber stiifener II 20 hardened and rigidified to provide a better anhas been omitted in this construction, which is chorage for screws or nails used in the attach otherwise identical with that of Fig. 1. ment of the heel, and the heads of such screws In the Fig. 3 construction the fiber stifener or nails being covered by the cushion inserted III is used but has not been subjected to comin the recess thus made by compression. pression. The cushion I'I is received into a re- 25 In the drawing: cess formed by compression of the insole I0 Figure l is a side elevation of a womans shoe only. embodying the invention, portions of the shoe In the Fig. 4 construction the fiber stifener at the heel being broken away to a longitudinal III has been placed on top of the insole and "o section exposing the parts in which the invention the hole has been completely punched through is embodied. the stiffener to receive the cushion ply III. In

Figures 2, 8 and 4 are similar views on an registration with this hole and immediately thereenlarged scale of the heel portions of shoes showbeneath, the insole I0 has been reduced in thicking modied embodiments of the invention. ness and rigidied by compression in the man- Like parts are identied by the same reference ner already described. To exemplify the use of characters throughout the several views. different types of fastenings I have shown in In the construction chosen for illustrating my Fig. 3 the use of nails only, as a means of aninvention the outer sole 5 terminates at 6 at choring the heel, while in Fig. 4 I have shown the forward margin of the heel I except that the use of a screw only, as a means of anchoring o the bottom ply of the outsole is preferably exthe heel. 40

tended downwardly along the front of the heel I claim: at 8. The counter 9 rests on the heel at the 1. In a shoe, the combination with a cushion rear in the usual Way, and between the insole ply adapted to support the heel bone, of a sole I and the heel I have interposed a piece of portion in the shoe reduced as to thickness and ber stiffening II which tapers forwardly in increased as to density under compression to thickness until it iinally terminates at the shank provide a rigid area beneath said cushion, and a of the shoe. recess in which said cushion is fixed, together From the insole at the heel portion of the with a heel for said shoe and anchorage means shoe there is a cushion ply I5 which likewise for said heel extending through the rigidied .no tapers forwardly to the shank, and which supsole portion of the shoe into the heel beneath ports the forward sock lining I6. said cushion ply, said means including a head Immediately beneath the heel bone I provide covered by the cushion ply. an extra cushion ply at I'I. The space for this 2. In a shoe, the combination with superposed ply is provided by subjecting the insole I0 to portions, oi an insole and astifening having pre- '55 considerable pressure suflicient to greatly reduce determined registering areas compacted and 55 densied under compression to provide a recess, the portions of said inner sole and stiiener at the bottom of the recess being densied and rigidied by compression.

3. In a shoe, the combination with a heel having a countersunk top portion, of a sole ply superposed on the heel and having an area above said heel compacted and densified under compression to rigidify the sole material in said area and to provide a recess, fastening means having a head portion seated on the compacted area at the bottom of the recess and extending through said countersunk portion of said heel into engagement in the heel, said rigidied sole portion being deformed into the countersunk portion of the heel, and a cushion ply positioned in said recess and covering said anchorage means.

4. In a shoe, the combination with sole material having a predetermined area compacted and densified under compression to provide a recess, of an anchorage device extending through said sole material in its compacted area and having a head positioned in abutment with said sole material in said recess, a cushion ply tted in said recess over said head, a larger cushion ply applied across said sole material and the cushion ply aforesaid, and a nishing ply superposed on said larger cushion ply.

5. In a shoe, the combination with a heel, of

a sole portion disposed above the heel and having a limited area so compacted under pressure as to be densied and reduced in thickness and anchorage means extending through said limited area downwardly into the heel and having a head portion engaging the upper surface of the densified area, a ply of sole material having an aperture registering with said area, and a cushion of greater thickness than said ply filling said aperture and the recess formed by the densical'ied area, a ply of sole material having an aperf ture registering with said area, a cushion of greater' thickness than said ply llng said aperture and the recess formed by the densication of said area, said cushion covering the head of said anchorage means, a second cushion substantially covering the heel portion of said sole and also covering said first mentioned cushion, and a liner over said second cushion.

JOSEPH H. EVERSTON. 

